Trolley-wire and support therefor



(No Model.)

H. H. ASHLEY.- TROLLEY WIRE AND SUPPORT THEREFOR. No. 530,674. Patented Dec. 11, 1894'.

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UNIT D STATES PATENT Ounce;

I HERBERT ASHLEY, SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS.

TROLLEY-W IRE AND SUPPORT THEREFOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Ifatent No. 530,674, dated December 1 1, 1 894.

7 Application filed August 25,1894. Serial No. 521,767. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HERBERT H. ASHLEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Springfield, in the county of Hampden and State of Massachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvements in Trolley-Wires and Supports Therefor, of which the following is a specificationl The object of the present invention is to IO devise such a supporting means for the overhead trolley-wires for electric cars that while the wires will, under all proper conditions, be maintained taut and secure, upon the breaking of the wire, the parts thereof at each side of the break will automatically become disconnected from their supports and fall to the ground instead of dangling as a menace to man and beast; and the invention comprises the improved trolley wire support which consists of the two parallel opposing longitudinally ranging cheek-plates suitably united at, and between, their upper portions where by-there is left clear, between their opposite portionsat each'end of the support, down- 2 5 wardly and e'ndwise openingspaces, and having, near such ends, the slots, which'incline in directions downwardly and toward the middle of, and which open to the lower edges of, the cheek-plates, and said cheek-plates 0 having their lower-edge portions continuous and unobstructed between the said slots, in combination with the trolley wires having provided at their end portions and above the longitudinal line thereof the lateral oppositely extending projections, which are adapted to, have engagements in said inclined slots, whereby all the trolley wires will be detachably supported to lie along the level of the lower edges of the saidcheek-plates.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of a connection support for the adjoining extremities of two trolley wires'which extremities are shown as in their engagement with the support. Fig. 2 is a side view on a larger scale showing a one end portion of the support and the end portion of a section of trolley-wire shown as in the operation of disengaging. Fig. 3 is a side view illustrating a preferred manner of endwi se equipmentof the trolley-wire section.

transverse member, I), which is adapted to 7 engage in the said slot for the supporting connection between the wire and slotted part which is maintained so long as the wire remains horizontal and taut by reason of having a like support at its other end.

As specifically shown in the drawings, the

support consists of a single casting of brass or other suitable metal which comprises the parallel separated ch'eekplates, or bars, d, d, united by the cross ribs at the middle, as seen at f, and at the ends near their top edges, as seen at g, g, The central uniting web, f, has formed thereupon,or secured thereto, the upwardly projecting spindle, h, by which to derive the suspension of the support through means of the transverse wires, 00, 00; and the eyes, i, i, found at the upper corners aiford efficient means forthe connection of the horizontal diagonal stay, or guy wires, y, y. In this design of the support, the slots, a, a, are formed through both of the cheek-plates, d, d, and the endwise part of each cheek-plate next beyond the said slots has a receding contour downwardly and rearwardly (the term rearwardly being regarded as in a direction from the end toward the middle of the support, A) as seen at k, so as to form no inequality or abrupt break in the conductor along which the trolley runs.

The trolley-wire has at its extremity an equipment, as below setforth, whereby the aforementioned transverse member may be bar, on, has at its back the thin web, or fin, m, from the upper middle portion of which the cross member, I), projects at either side, trunnion-like, and all so that the terminal portion of the wire with thecross-stud carrying bar, m, may lie between the said check members, d, cl, of the support about coincident with its lower edge, while the laterally projecting members, b,lie up and in the ends of the inner slots, a, a. The end of the trolley-wire is upset, substantially as seen at n, to constitute such a shoulder as will prevent the bar, m, from slipping endwise off from engagement with the so shouldered wire.

The width of the support, A, comprising the separated cheek-plates and the relation of such support to the duly connected trolleywire extremity, is such that there is afforded a continuous overhead line, or track, for the grooved trolley wheel, the support, A, constituting a continuation of the electric conductor which carries the current from the one length, or section, of the trolley wire to the next. Now, the automatic operation of the two parts of the trolley-wire relative to their end supports, upon the breaking at an intermediate point of the trolley-wire, ensues, as is manifest, because there being then nothing to further continue the horizontal disposition of the wire and the maintenance thereof under suitable endwise draft up within the inner forward ends of the slots, a, the severed wires in downwardly swinging to positions more or less as seen in Fig. 2, permit their ends provided with the transverse members, I), to slide out from the slotted supports, A, therefor.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The improved trolley wire support which consists of the two parallel opposing longitudinally ranging cheek plates suitably united at, and between, their upper portions whereby there is left clear between their opposite portions, at each end of the support, downwardly and endwise opening spaces, and having, near such ends, the slots, at, a, which incline in directions downwardly and toward the middle of, and which open to the lower edges of, the cheek-plates, and said checkplates having their lower edge portions continuous and unobstructed between the said slots, in combination with the trolley wires having provided at their end portions and above the longitudinal line thereof the lateral oppositely extending projections, b, b, which are adapted to have engagements in said inclined slots, all whereby the trolley wires will be detachably supported to lie along the level of the lower edges of the said cheekplates, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. The improved trolley-wire support consisting of the two parallel cheek-plates suitably united so as to have at their end portions clear, downwardly, and 'endwise opening spaces, and having at such end portions the rearwardly and downwardly inclined slots,.a, a, in combination with the trolleywire having at its extremity the bar, 171, with the upstanding longitudinal web which is provided with thelaterally extending projections, b, b, all substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. The improved trolley-wire support consisting of the two parallel united ch eekplates having the endwise and downwardly opening spaces therebetween, and having the inclined slots, (1, a, in combination with the trolleywire having the upset end, and the bar which is longitudinallychanneled and provided with the wire embracing lips, m m and which has a rising member supporting the lateral projections, b, b, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

4. The trolleysupport herein described, the same consisting of the opposing cheek [116mbers, d, (1, having the downwardly and rearwardly inclined slots, a, a, and the end inclines, 7c, the central uniting web,f, and the Webs, g, g, at and uniting the upper end portions of said cheek members, substantially as described.

5. The trolley support herein shown and described which consists of the opposing cheek members, d, at, having the downwardly and rearwardly inclined slots, a, a, and the end inclines, 7c, the central uniting web,f, provided with the upward support member, 72., the webs, g, g,uniting the upper end portions of said cheek members, and having at such upper end portions the eyes, i, t, for the purposes set forth.

HERBERT I-I. ASHLEY.

Witnesses:

WM. S. BELLows, H. A. CHAPIN. 

